Love is strong - in many ways

This has been the strangest year many of us can remember and no matter who you are or what your situation is, nobody has come away without a few scratches. Some of those physically, some of those emotionally. But one thing I personally noticed, as lockdowns and curfews dragged on, is how we all came back to one important thing. Love.

Give and receive

It doesn't matter whether you live alone and come home to an empty house, share a flat with four other people, or whether you live with your partner and maybe even children. There are upsides and downsides to all situations. The one thing we have in common is that, no matter the struggle, no matter the arguments, no matter the silence, we all aim for the same. We want to give and receive love. And usually one will follow the other, no matter which comes first. Receiving love fills us with warmth and joy and will inspire us to give love but to give love to another brings equal satisfaction.

Be mindful

Being mindful of what is around us, what makes us happy and feel joy, is how we can experience feelings of love. It can come from the smallest of gestures, the gentlest of words. If you pay close attention, there is so much more out there to experience. Even in times of sadness. Being able to feel joy, love and yes, sadness, is something very special to me because it means that I live.

Celebrate

And this is why I want to celebrate today, Valentine's day. But not in your "lovey-dovey-kissy-roses-and-chocolates-lovers" kind of way. I want to celebrate all kinds of love that make us strong. The love of a family, the love of your friends, the love you find in strangers and the love you find within yourself. Today I celebrate my parents, my brother, his wife, their beautiful children, my old friends, my new friends, the people I meet every day, the people who make a difference in my life and the people in whose lives I may have made a difference.

So here's to Love.

Obviously I couldn't let this day pass without a delicious cocktail and so I ordered the Flying Dutchmen Cocktails "Sending Love" Giftset to celebrate in style.